Sunday 14 July 2013

Gas Street, BCN


More trees lost to the canal around Birmingham.  The NIA has been denuded too.  Notice, though, they have not cut down the ones on the corner which can actually be a nuisance - yet!

David set off at 0630, I stayed in bed with a cup of tea.

We were back by for 10 and kicked the squatters off the mooring.

I really enjoyed my weekend out.  Can't see us getting away again until September at least.  Still, we have a grandson to look forward too.

One reason why we came back early was that Pete, our neighbour, celebrates his 83rd birthday today and there was a party and boat trip for him.

I went with a skateboarder theme, for no reason, just thought he might like it.  The card was made with a blue card blank, a brown panel matted onto silver card and the sentiment and name picked out in silver peel-offs.  The two skateboarders were stickers which I mounted onto card and cut out. 

The bottle tag was made with white card and I matted some patterned paper onto silver card and stuck it down on the front, then I cut out a white panel which went on the top and added the peel-off sentiment and name and the skateboarder was added to the bottom.

Saturday 13 July 2013

Hopwood, Worcester and Birmingham Canal

 This mooring is up for auction!  Is there a prettier spot?  It is at Lower Bittel Reservoir on the Worcester and Birmingham.  Not many utilities, electricity, water and rubbish (I think), but nothing else, and you'd need a car.

 We set off for Alvechurch and finally caught up with the others just before Tardebigge tunnel.  There was no room for us to join them as the bank was too shallow, so we winded and came back here.

Lunch at the Hopwood Arms and a quiet afternoon in the sunshine.


Cathy (a fellow moorer) always managed to pose a challenge when she needs a card.  She handed me a badly photocopied photo of her grandchildren with the Simpsons.  Could I make a card for the Grandson, and Smudge (the dog) needs to be there too.

This is what I did.  I cut an aperture into the front of a tent fold card and added a strip of peel-off around the edge.  I scanned the picture and David twiddled with it to enhance it a bit and I had a copy made at Snappy Snaps.  It is not too good, but better than the original.  I matted this onto silver card and stuck it to the back of the card blank through the aperture.

I found a clip of the Simpsons and printed it off onto card, and also the sentiment and name which I cut out by hand and die cut using black "dots" to looks like brads.  Smudge was cut out and added to the bottom of the aperture to look like she is peeking out.

Friday 12 July 2013

Hopwood, Worcester and Birmingham Canal

 The first Saturday that we had sunshine and the stag parties were jumping the lock and swarming over passing boats as they negotiated the narrows.  I think the police must have had a word with the owner of the Canalside Cafe because several signs have appeared (though only one seems to remain at the moment).

We have actually taken the boat out of the basin (apart from pump outs).  We visited Sherborne Wharf to get the windows finished and sealed off and then set off down the Worcester and Birmingham.

Hopwood is about the first decent moorings a good run from Birmingham so we moored up by the bridge.

Three fellow moorers passed on their way to Alvechurch and we arranged to meet them tomorrow.

It was so nice to be out.  I have missed so much of Spring this year.  We saw ducklings and moorhen chicks, lots of butterflies and dragonflies, roses, foxgloves, meadow-sweet and the last of the yellow flags.  And best of all, the sun shone all day!

Poor Richard at Sherborne Wharf had the joyous job of fixing our toilet.  I managed to drop a wet wipe down (though I have no recollection of doing so!)  Consequently the macerator came to a grinding halt.

This is the third time that he has had to play with our outpourings.  I made this card as a small thank you.

I printed off the stamp about 4 times, coloured them in with pencils and markers, then decoupaged them using sticky fixers.  I was really proud of myself as I managed to get the pig to peek out of the door.  I did this by sticking the hinge end of the door directly to the shed with double sided tape, cut a flap at the side of the pig and stuck him behind the door with sticky fixers.

The sentiment was done on the computer and I matted both onto gold and green pearl card.

This is a side view showing how the pig peeks out of the door.